Vines
by TKLF42
Summary: The gang had just given back their crests when they discover that Matt is missing. With five minutes to rescue him, they jump down a hole that they think Matt fell into. They are attacked by vines and in the middle of the underground maze, Matt is being held captive my the spirit of the Digital World itself. The only way to tame this spirit... is for someone to willingly become it.
1. Chapter 1

TK shed a single tear as he watched his crest of hope dissolve into light. Without it, he would never see MagnaAngemon again. He looked at his feet, MaganAngemon had been so cool! Well, at least he wasn't bursting out into tears like Mimi. She was so emotional. What was it with girls? TK looked up at the whole gang. Everyone was sad that they had lost their crests. It felt like they had lost their identities.

Just then, a transmission from Genni appeared. The weird old man had a way of showing up wherever he wanted to.

"Hello children." Genni said. "I trust you're done giving up your crests?" Everyone nodded. "Well then, the next portal out of here should arrive in about five minutes. Enjoy yourselves until then!" The transmission cut off.

"How are we supposed to enjoy ourselves if we aren't allowed to see our digimon?" Matt asked, grumpy as always.

"Don't be silly, we can explore!" TK said excitedly.

"Explore what, this barren, grassy hill?" Asked Joe.

"I say we take a nap." Said Mimi. "With all that crying I need my beauty sleep."

"We can't take a nap in five minutes Mimi." Said Tai.

"Oh right, I forgot." Said Mimi.

"Hey guys," Sora said. "Where's Matt?"

"He's probably just off somewhere for his 'alone time' like usual." Joe said.

"Or he could have snuck off to find Gabumon." Izzy suggested "He did mention that earlier."

"I don't know." Tai said. "Matt may be a bit grumpy at times but he wouldn't just leave us without telling us."

"You mean like when he left after TK got back from Puppetmon's house?" Joe said.

"I'm just saying that maybe we should search for him." Tai said.

"I think I know where he went." Said TK, a little ways off. He pointed at a big hole by his feet. "Down there."


	2. Caught

When TK finally woke up, he was on the floor of a damp room, covered in vines. How did he get here? Where were the others? TK noticed a small door in the corner of the room.

"Hello TK."said a familiar voice. TK turned to see Matt with a shadowed face, covered in vines, and wearing one of those creepy smiles.

"Are you okay Matt?" TK asked, pulling the vines off of him. Yet, no matter how many view TK pulled, there were always more. Matt didn't say a word but TK heard a strange slithering noise. He turned to see and found all the vines, racing towards him.

TK was scared. Not the little kid kind of scared, not the racing adrenaline scared, the kind of scared where you just stand there. He wasn't exactly frozen, he was just, well, scared. TK ran to the little door and pushed himself out, into a corridor with a turn at the end. He ran down the hallway and turned to see a large river with vines growing over it. TK plunged into the vine-free river and swam to the other side. If TK had eyes on the back of his head be would have seen the corner erupted Matt swimming after him and holding an odd sword.

When TK resurfaced, he was in another hallway. However, this one had a dead end. TK screamed as his body was covered in vines, squeezing the last breath out of him. Just as TK thought he was going to die, he heard a voice.

"Stop." Said the voice. TK was too tired to see who it belonged to. "We'll at lease give them a chance." TK felt something hard hit his head before blanking out.


	3. Chapter 3: To Save us All

TK woke up in a dark room, chained to the wall by a series of vines. He realized in disgust that they were slimy and then realized that slimy meant slippery. He could escape! TK began squirming fervently. Yet, no matter how much he tried to escape, the vines only grew tighter. TK was going to be trapped here forever! He broker down in tears.

"TK, is that you?" Asked Sora. TK whipped his head around to see where she was.

"Yes?" He answered cautiously.

"I'm right next to you." Sora told him. "And I'm pretty sure everybody else is too, they've just got vines across their mouths." TK shuddered to think of what it would feel like to have slimy vines across his mouth.

"Did you-" TK stopped himself.

"Did I see that creepy version of Matt and then get chased around a maze for five minutes?" Sora asked "Then the answer is yes. Don't worry though TK, he couldn't possibly be the real Matt."

"Ha ha ha little one." Came Matt's voice from somewhere in the room. "So close to finding the truth and yet so far."

"You don't scare me!" TK cried boldly.

"I'll make it easier for you." Matt continued, ignoring him. "Long ago a person teleported into another dimension. This dimension had no people, no planets. However, the person found themselves able to bother create and destroy objects in this new universe so they created a small planet with one Sun. They put stars in the sky, plants on the ground, and water in the sea. This was done by a combination of coding and magic. At last, the person decided to add creatures, Digimon. The person knew that both good and bad had to be represented so they created the three categories. Finally, the person brought people, Genni and others, to protect the peace of the new world. These people, however, knew that so much power to one person would mean their destruction so they trapped their creator here, stripping them of their power but keeping them alive lest the world require another mediator. The creator spent their life searching for a way to take the vines and at last, they found it. They cast their soul into the vines so that if the target was not willing, the creator would take over. With their soul in the vines, they died. Without a person to mediate the world, the vines claimed this lovely human. This body is growing weak though, and I require a new life source." With that, TK heard Joe's muffled screams as he was pulled away from the wall. When the creature spoke, it was Joe's voice now.

"You're my batteries."


	4. Chapter 4: One Must Sacrifice

"Ha ha!" Evil One was teasing Matt who had just regained consciousness. "This one is _so_ much more powerful than you were. Wanna know why? Because the more they struggle the stronger I get."

"Shut it you lousy spoil of vines!" Matt said, struggling weakly against the vines.

"Don't forget I've been inside your mind." Evil Joe said. "There are some pretty lousy thoughts in there."

"Hey Creator of the Digital World!" Sora called. "There must be a loop hole through this, right?"

"Why yes child" said Evil Joe "You could become the moderator of the Digital World... if you sacrifice yourself willingly." He smiled with devilish sweetness. "We all know you won't do that though." TK thought about it. Was it true? Could a willing sacrifice safe the rest of them.

"I sacrifice myself." TK said boldly.

"No!" Matt cried. "TK, don't you dare!"

"Smart little child." Said Evil Joe, turning to TK. "But why not obey your brother? This means death to your mortal body."

"I want to save my friends." TK said, unwavering.

"Very well." Evil Joe shook his wrist and the vines fell off of TK. TK walked towards Evil Joe, despite the fact that every bothersome in his body told him not to. Just as Evil Joe was putting his hand on TK's neck, a door opened on the unlit side of the room.

"Stop this madness at once." The owner of the voice came into the dim light so TK could see her face.

"You?" He said in surprise. She looked at him and memories, names came rushing back. "Hello Lillie."


	5. Chapter 5: If You Want Me To

TK felt a strange mixture of anger and admiration as Lillie smiled at him. Wait a second- she was going to _sacrifice_ herself for them? That... didn't really match the personality she had shown before. The whole, brainwashing and emotion manipulating with an underlay of ' is she really doing this for herself' thing made her seem like the kind of person who would-. Actually, her actions had pointed other ways but her words always made TK think that it was the end of the world.

"Before I go I owe these guys an explanation." Lillie told Evil Joe before turning to face us.

"Darn right you do," Matt spat "Capturing my little brother and all." Lillie ignored his comment and continued.

"I have the Crest of Destiny meaning that for every step for goodness I take, there has to be a counter action. The previous events were merely counter actions for what I'm about to do now," TK listened intently, Lillie was actually explaining something for once. "You see, once in power I must keep the balance. You forgetting about me was simply to keep the balance pure. Please know that the effects today are irreversible and many of you may never see me again."

"Good riddance," said Tai. "Like we need random people popping up, claiming to know everything, and just automatically assuming the highest position."

"But- but- but!" TK stuttered, hiding back tears. With newfound strength he broke from the vines and gave Lillie a hug. He whispered quietly in her ear, "Your plan worked."

Lillie looked at him knowingly, allowing TK to see the faint outline of a tear on her face. She smiled at TK again, for the last time.

"TK, I'll come back again. If you want me to." With that she left the Digidestined on the grass, wondering why they were so bruised.

Author's note: Ha ha ha, kind-of cliché isn't it? Anyways, what Tai said is the reason I stopped watching a lot of good TV shows. I just couldn't stand watching a person go, "lad did day, I didn't help you in the beginning at all but I'm totally the leader now." It's even worse when everybody else just accepts it. I'm getting off topic, please look at the rest of my digimon stories for a bit of explanation on just what Lillie did do to the Digidestined.


End file.
